


Just Like Arlathan Used to Make

by darktensh17



Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types
Genre: Mpreg, Other, Rape/Non-con Elements, Tentacle Monsters, Tentacle Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-14
Updated: 2014-07-14
Packaged: 2018-02-08 20:31:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,006
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1955217
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darktensh17/pseuds/darktensh17
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written for the Kink Meme. Fenris has a run in with an ancient elvhen tentacle monster and ends up with a few extra passengers for a month.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Just Like Arlathan Used to Make

**Author's Note:**

> I wasn't going to post this at first, then decided 'Eh, why not?'. The 'pregnancy' is loosely based on how birds lay eggs. With the exception of it being internal rather than sitting on the eggs.

Fenris slashed desperately at one of the black tentacles coming toward him, severing it with a spray of green gore. The thing withered and pulled away, replaced all too soon by another one. No matter how many tentacles Fenris cut, another always took its place. He was beginning to think he was in over his head. Worst of all he knew that there was no one who could rescue him, he had left Kirkwall without informing anyone.

He’d still been shaken up by the battle against Hadriana, and had returned to the slave caverns where they had fought her to make sure she was dead. Years of torment at her hands had left him suspicious. Even though he’d been the one to crush her heart in his hands, until he saw her rotting corpse, he couldn’t believe she was dead.

Shortly after he had gotten to the room they had killed Hadriana in, he had been attacked by the monster. The creature was unlike anything he had ever seen; it was a horror of dozens of black tentacles, attached to a round body which consisted of a large teeth filled mouth and then row upon row of small red eyes. Fenris was sure that it was not a demon, but he had no clue what it was or how it had gotten here. He could only hypothesize that it had been in these tunnels for years, or that it wa a trap placed by Hadriana before her death.

His thoughts proved a dangerous distraction; one of the tentacles wrapped around his ankle and jerked him to the ground. Fenris flailed and tried to regain his footing, activating the lyrium and attacking the appendages as they swarmed him. He attempted to stand, slashing at the one wrapped around his ankle, but the amount of tentacles made it impossible for him to regain his footing. On the ground it was harder to swing his sword, but he kept his grip on it, refusing to relinquish his weapon.

It would prove an unwise decision. It took more energy to swing his sword, his arm soon began to tire, and the creature seemed to sense it. Three tentacles launched at his sword arm at the same time, they were spaced far enough apart that he only took out two when he swung his sword at them. The remaining tentacle grabbed his arm, wrapping around the wrist and squeezing hard enough to make one of the bones pop, causing Fenris to shout in pain and drop the sword.

Fenris had no chance to gather his wits before the tentacles were swarming all over him, covering every inch of him. Each tentacle was warm and clammy; they touched every uncovered inch of his skin, all but his face, before pushing under his clothes and beginning to tear at them. When one of them wrapped around his limp member, Fenris panicked.

“Stop!” A familiar fear welled up, too often under Danarius had Fenris found himself in a similar position of helplessness with the man tearing at his clothes. Fenris began to struggle anew, the threat of death he could handle, the possibility of this turning into something more sexual he could not.

All movement stopped and the creature pulled Fenris closer to its main body. Fenris tried to turn away from all those red eyes gazing at him, but it used tentacles to force him to stare back at it. Suddenly the large mouth opened, and Fenris was both relieved and terrified to know that his life would end as this creature’s dinner.

Instead of eating him though, its large tongue ran up the the length of his body, causing him to jerk and attempt pull away. “No!” His renewed struggles only caused the grip of the creature’s tentacles to tighten around him, holding him in place. What little of his clothes had not been pulled away, were torn off of him, leaving him completely bare before the creature.

Fenris shouted, praying to the Maker that someone would hear him. The Dalish lived on the Sundermount, and thanks to Merrill’s insistent chattering he knew that they patrolled what they considered their territory often. His shouting was shut off abruptly as a thick tentacle was shoved down his throat, causing him to choke. It pulled back slightly, enough that he could breath, and began to pump in and out of his mouth; much like Danarius had when he was forcing Fenris to suck him off.

Unbidden, tears gathered in Fenris’ eyes, he felt ashamed and afraid. A tentacle pet the side of his face in a mockery of tenderness, even as another wrapped around his still limp member, trying perhaps to give him some sort of enjoyment from this defiling act. The fact that he had been conditioned by Danarius to enjoy such acts soon had his body turning against him as he hardened under the creature’s ministrations. Along with the tentacle down his throat, and the one around his erection, there were several other tentacles stroking places on his body such as his nipples, thighs and ears.

Without meaning to, a moan escaped him, muffled slightly by the appendage down his throat. The sound caused something in the creature’s demeanor to change, its eyes widened and a shudder went through it before it relaxed slightly. Even the tentacles holding Fenris relaxed marginally, and Fenris used the opportunity to try and break free, to no avail.

He was jerked upward, and closer to the creature, still forced to watch it. Before his eyes, an opening appeared in its torso and something that vaguely resembled a qunari erection pushed through the opening. It was as large, bulbous, and just as black as the rest of the creature, and it was pulsing, secreting some sort of white liquid.

Before Fenris had a chance to react he was jerked around so that his back was to the creature and multiple tentacles pulled his legs apart. Gripped by incomprehensible terror, Fenris couldn’t move, his mind gone back to those horrible days as Danarius’ slave. He came back to himself just as he felt the thick, blunt head of the creature’s sex pressing against his entrance.

Fenris tried to scream, but all that escaped was a strangled cry, the tentacle down his throat choking it off. When the creature pushed into him, it was slowly and carefully, almost as though it were trying to be gentle. The white liquid that it had been ejecting eased the way in, but that didn’t make it any less painful for Fenris. Something as large as the creature’s sex was not meant to fit in something as small Fenris’s anus was.

Thrashing, Fenris continued to scream his mind numb from shock. Nothing registered to him anymore, not pain or the pleasure that the creature seemed to continue to try and force on him. He was not even aware of the way his body was reacting positively to the creatures attentions, his erection engorged and leaking. 

Every thrust caused his body to move within the confines of the creature’s tentacles, jerking forward before being pulled back. An unconscious shudder went through him as the creature’s tongue ran up his back, leaving behind a trail of sticky saliva. It cooled quickly in the damp cave, but Fenris barely registered it.

Things came back to sickening clarity when the creature hit his prostate, causing Fenris’ body to spam in reaction to the pleasure, even as it ripped an orgasm out of him. Fenris cried out, but it was weak even with the muffling

Mentally, emotionally and physically exhausted, Fenris hung limply in the creature’s tentacles as it continued to assault him. As much as he willed it, he couldn’t get back to that state of nothingness, nor could he force himself to pass out. Instead he was aware of everything that was going in.

Fenris became hyper aware when the creature stilled suddenly and a gush of something entered him. It was uncomfortably warm, almost burning. He could feel it move through his body, settling in the area of his gut. The sensation was not just distressing, it also came with a sudden sense of vertigo.

Soon everything began to gray out. Fenris was dimly aware of the monster pulling out, and then the sensation of being laid on the ground. Everything went black afterward.

-

The sounds of concerned voices woke Fenris up. He was so groggy he did not understand that he was being spoken to at first. It took him a moment longer to realize that the reason he could not make out what was being said was because the speakers were speaking Dalish.

When he went to ask what was going on, all he managed was a weak groan. “W-what. . .”

There were quick words exchanged between those who had gathered around him. Someone touched his forehead and he felt a jolt of unfamiliar magic go through him, causing his markings to light up. The pain that came from having magic he did not know cast on him, cause his head to clear very quickly.

“Stop!” He shouted, pushing the mage’s hand away. “Do not use your magic on me.”

Someone slapped his hand. “You do not speak to the Keeper that way. You should be honoured that she was trying to help you!”

“Hamin, lethallin.” Now that his head was cleared, Fenris recognized the voice of the Dalish Keeper Marethari. “You are safe here friend of Hawke. Some of our hunters found you in a cave, you were unconscious and appeared to have been fighting.”  
Fenris rubbed his forehead, trying to remember what had happened. All he could recall was going to assure himself of Hadriana’s death, a vague sense of fighting, terror, and then nothing. “I do not recall what happened.”

Marethari nodded, not saying anything as she spoke to one of the two Dalish that were in the tent with her. It was the same one who had slapped Fenris’ hand, and he looked none too pleased with what he was told. With a scathing glare Fenris’ way he left the tent.

“I have sent Fenarel to contact Hawke. As you are it is not possible for you to return to the city on your own, but you cannot remain here or much longer.” Marethari told him as she stood. “We will care for you only until he comes, it will be the duty of your friends to watch over you through this.” She gave him a pitying look and left the tent, the remaining Dalish following after her.

Something about her words had Fenris on edge. What did she mean when she said that his friends would need to help him through this. There was a niggling feeling in the back of his mind, but Fenris couldn’t place his hand on what it was.

He didn't realize he'd fallen asleep until a familiarly soothing magic washed over him, soothing all of the aches he did not realize he had. Fenris would never admit it, but Anders magic was one of the few that did not cause him pain, often it soothed even the ache of his markings.

"Your heart rate has changed, I know you're awake Fenris." Anders murmured, not stopping his work.

Fenris opened his eyes, slightly annoyed at the man. "I only just woke up mage. Forgive me if I was still groggy."

Anders scoffed at his comment and pulled away, apparently done with his healing. "I always figured you were awake or asleep, there was no in between."

"You are not nearly as funny as you think you are." Fenris told him, not amused in the slightest.

"My midweek comedy club says otherwise." Anders joked. "Not that you would not funny if it came and bit you in your lyrium covered ass." He stood, stretching. "You seem to be in one piece, other than some bruising you're fine. I'm not sure what has the Dalish Keeper in such a fuss. Hawke's speaking with her now though."

“WHAT THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN SMOKING!?” Hawke’s angry voice came from somewhere outside of the tent, causing Fenris and Anders to jump in surprise. Hawke rarely got so angry that he yelled. “I don’t care that this is some sort of protected Dalish creature. Anders is going to find a way to undo it and you’re precious creature is going to have to find someone else!” 

Fenris licked suddenly dry lips, a memory tingling at the back of his mind. “Perhaps we should go see what is going on.”

“That might be best.” Anders agreed. 

When he offered Fenris a hand up, Fenris did not argue about it, more concerned with what was going on. He experienced a moment of panic when he realized he wasn’t in his own clothes and that his armour was missing. Glancing around he noticed his sword and armour in one corner of the tent. He didn’t have much chance to puzzle over it as he followed Anders out of the tent to find Hawke.

When they found him he was standing in front of Marethari, Merrill and Varric were at his side. They were all being held in place by the arrows trained on them by the Dalish. “What’s going on Hawke?” Anders asked, coming up short when some of those arrows turned toward the two of them. “This isn’t our usual greeting from the Dalish.”

Hawke’s gaze turned to them, he stared at Fenris sadly for a moment before focusing on Anders. “Keeper Marethari has been telling me exactly what happened to Fenris and what’s going to happen for the next month.”

“What do you mean what is going to happen for the next month?” Fenris demanded, his angry gaze fixing on the Marethari. “What has happened to me?” 

Marethari raised her hands in a symbol of peace and the Dalish lowered their bows, though they kept them close to their side. “You have had an encounter with a creature similar to the varterrals, a remnant of the days of Arlathan. This creature is the deunoc, it is the only one of its kind left that we know of.”

“What does that have to do with Fenris” Anders demanded, crossing his arms. “I checked him over and he seems fine. Did this creature poison him or something else that I cannot detect?”

His words were ignored by Marethari, much to both Anders and Fenris’ annoyance. “Ancient stories tell that they roamed the land freely as protectors of the elvhen. When Arlathan sank, the deunoc were hunted into extinction by the magister’s of Tevinter until only this one was left.” 

Before anyone could ask again what this had to do with Fenris, she continued. “The deunoc are a species that does not require a partner to repopulate and yet this one has never produced offspring. The legends say that it will implant it offspring into a host, but that there are certain conditions that must be met.” Even before she finished what she was about to say, Fenris knew, his memories of the tentacled creature and what had occurred in the caves coming back to them. “Your friend appears to be the host that the deunoc required to reproduce, he is now carrying within him the deunoc’s eggs. It is a great honour that no others have had in thousands of years.” 

Fenris clenched his shaking hands, assaulted and impregnated by a monster and the Dalish thought it was an honour! “You are mad if you think I will allow that creatures spawn to grow within me!” Anders put a comforting hand on his shoulder, but Fenris ignore it. “I will be rid of that creatures eggs by any means possible.”

“There is no way of expelling the eggs now that they are within you.” Marethari said, her voice taking on a tone of a parent speaking with a petulant child. “Their life is now entwined with your own, if you should try to be rid of them it will kill you.” 

“Just because you don’t know a way doesn’t mean it’s not possible.” Hawke told her, coming to Fenris’ defense. “We have one of the best healers in Thedas with us, and Merrill is intimately familiar with all of this as your former student. We’ll figure something out.” His gaze swept around the area to take in all of the Dalish. “If you try to stop us we will fight our way out and there will be plenty of needless death.” 

Marethari shook head head sadly but gestured for all the Dalish to move away from the gathered companions. Hawke, Varric and Merrill made their way over to where Fenris and Anders were standing. “You may leave, but I would dissuade you from attempting to stop what has already begun within your friend. Already two days have passed, the eggs have attached to him and will begin to grow until at the end of a month they will need to be laid so that they may hatch. If you will heed one piece of advice from me, let it be this, at that time return to where you encountered the deunoc so that the offspring may go to it. If not the deunoc will come to you.” 

She did not need to say what that would mean if Fenris were still in Kirkwall when that happened. Even Fenris knew that it would be a disaster, it would not come to that though, because they were going to find a way to fix this. “Do not threaten me, it will not come to that, I will not be used as an incubator for that creature’s spawn.” 

Having no further desire to speak with the Dalish Keeper, lest he be tempted to punch his hand into her chest Fenris went into the tent to retrieve his armour. Perhaps his time as Danarius’ slave was helping to ensure his calmness, or perhaps it was his assuredness that they would be able to find a way to fix this that kept him from losing his wits with terror and becoming a useless mess. In either case, he held his head high as he made his way out of the Dalish camp, the others flocking around him and keeping him from the eyes of the Dalish as they passed through their territory and back into Kirkwall. 

-

Four days later and Fenris was already beginning to feel the effects of the insemination, as Anders had taken to calling it. He noticed he had decreased energy, an increased appetite, and he was beginning to feel an ache in his gut. None of this helped his mood when both Anders and Merrill came up with no way to help him.

“I know you don’t want to hear it Fenris, but it looks like the Dalish Keeper was right. The eggs are attached to you and somehow they’ve become part of you.” Anders shook his head in defeat, not meeting Fenris’ eyes. “However it’s been achieved I can tell it has something to do with magic and your lyrium, which seems to be what’s sustaining them. Your best bet is to treat it like a normal pregnancy and get plenty of rest, eat healthy and avoid alcohol.” 

Merrill took up where Anders left off. “We have no stories about who became carriers of the deunoc’s children. But Anders and I have been speaking, and if what his examinations have shown to be correct, it’s possible only lyrium warriors were able to carry the children. Which could explain why there has no tales of the deunoc having children. You are the first lyrium warrior it has come across in thousands of years.” 

Fenris hoped that his glare conveyed how much he hated both of them in that moment. “So you have both failed, and Varric has come up with nothing useful either.” 

While Merrill looked stricken, Anders glared back. “We tried Fenris, and we didn’t say that we were going to stop trying. As a healer though, I’m advising you to start considering eating more, cutting out the wine, and getting more rest. I’m going to monitor you to ensure that you remain healthy and make it through this. If the what the Keeper said is right, you only have to endure it for thirty days, six of which have already passed.” 

Not wanting to hear any of it, Fenris turned his back to them. “Get out.” He growled, not wanting to listen to them anymore. He knew that they’d tried but excuses were not what he wished to hear, he did not want to be a host to some creatures spawn. When he was sure that they were gone he grabbed his sword and hacked at the table in his room, taking his anger out on it. The action accomplished nothing other than the needless destruction of his table and to make him exhausted. 

He made his way over to his bed and collapsed on to it tiredly. If what he had just done was draining with only six days, how much worse would this get? Unbidden his hand went down to his stomach, where he knew the eggs were nestled in a temporary sack according to Anders. Fenris has seen pregnant women, both slaves and the women in Kirkwall, they could barely move with the size of their stomachs. Would he become like that as well? 

Even worse was the thought that the Dalish Keeper was wrong, that this may end in pain or death for him. Nothing Danarius had ever done to him was as terrifying as dying so that some creature’s spawn could be born. The thought haunted him even in his dreams, night after night making him irritable and prone to violence. 

His mood was not improved as all by the effect of the insemination, within a week of the deunoc’s attack his stomach was already beginning to become distended. It was barely noticeable at first, but every day it seemed to grow a little, his appetite and exhaustion seemed to grow along with it. 

Hawke refused to take him on missions, saying that it was too dangerous in his present state. His reasoning was that they couldn’t trust that something unpredictable wouldn’t happen, as well as the fact that Fenris didn’t have the energy to go traipsing around Kirkwall with the threat of death around every corner.

Fenris had threatened to shove his fish through Hawke’s chest if he didn’t ‘shut up and leave.’

“You must really be in a bad mood if you’re threatening me with fish.” Was Hawke’s amused rely, but he’d left not been by since, in fact other than Merrill, Anders and occasionally Isabela, very few of his companions were visiting. Fenris would have been upset by it, if not for the fact that he had threatened everyone into leaving him alone for fear of being ridiculed or shunned for his situation. He knew that none of them would, with the exception of perhaps Isabela whom it was difficult to get insulted by, but the fear was there.

They left him alone as he desired, and by the next week he was regretting it greatly. It was thirteen days into his ‘pregnancy’ before he realized that he couldn’t do this alone. His stomach was now large enough that it was causing him back pains, his armour no longer fit and his own shirt only fit so long as he left the bottom buttons undone and his stomach showing. He was running out of food and he would not go out to get more, not in the condition he was in.

His one solace was that he didn’t care about what happened to the eggs inside him and he had plenty of alcohol. With Anders no longer there to tell him that drinking was a bad idea, Fenris decided to drown his sorrows in wine. It didn’t take long for him to realize that this was a bad idea, more specifically it didn’t take him long to realize that his body was ensuring he knew it was a bad idea. Within hours of his first bottle of wine he was hunched over the chamber pot miserably, his gut wrenching as he vomited every bit of wine until his stomach was empty. 

Having no strength left, he collapsed on to his side before curling up into a ball of abject misery. That was how Hawke, Anders, Merrill and Isabela found him hours later.

“I told you he’d go to the bottle before too long.” Isabela’s voice woke him from his uneasy sleep. “Looks like the unwanted passengers didn’t take too well to it.” 

He could hear them and feel the ground vibrating as they walked toward him, but he had no will to move. When a cool hand settled on his stomach and the feeling of Anders healing magic washed over him, Fenris couldn’t help but sigh in relief. “Stubborn elf, you should have come to us, or looked out your window where Aveline has had Donnic patrolling as often as she could in case you needed aid.”

Fenris said nothing and merely grunted when strong arms lifted him on to his bed. Hawke grinned at him as he tucked him in. “Still want to drive your fish through my chest?”

“I don’t think Fenris will want fish, but Isabela and I can get him some food, and some clothes that will fit until this is over.” Merrill offered, smiling when Fenris glanced over at her. “We’ll try to get your favourites, and things that you can keep around without worry of them going bad.”

Anders nodded his agreement. “That would be best, try to get as much fresh fruit and vegetables as you can. We can cast spell to keep them fresh, I think it would be the least offensive use of magic at the moment.” He added with an amused glance Fenris’ way.

The thought of food, especially luscious apples, had Fenris’ stomach gurgling in hunger. “Make sure there are plenty of apples.”

“And make sure whatever clothes you get, it offers a lot of room to grow out, it’s been less than two weeks and he looks to be as far along as someone at 26 weeks. He’s likely to get much, much bigger.” 

“Oh we’ll find the perfect outfit.” Isabela promised before steering Merrill out of the room. Fenris felt a different sense of dread crash over him. 

Hawke shook his head. “I don’t envy you whatever she brings back for you.” He patted Fenris shoulder before standing. “I’ll make myself useful and do some laundry, you obviously need some clean sheets and pants.” 

“If I were you I’d get some rest.” Anders advised. “You obviously need it considering how we found you. I’ll be here if anything happens.” 

Fenris wanted to argue with him, but he knew that Anders was right. As much as he may disagree with the man on his views, Fenris knew that Anders took his job as a healer seriously. When he was in his healer mode it was hard to argue with him, plus Fenris was extremely tired and was asleep almost as soon as his eyes slid closed. 

He woke up to the sound of Isabela and Merrill giggling as they entered the room. With them came the smell of fresh baked bread and cooked meat, it made him salvate slightly. Pushing himself up, Fenris fixed his gaze on the basket large that Merrill has clasped in her hands.

Merrill brought the basket over and pulled out the warm loaf of bread which had cheese and meet pressed in between the two layers. “We brought some fresh food as well as supplies. I thought you might be hungry.” 

Fenris took the offered sandwich and bit into it unable to hold back a moan at the taste, it was the best thing he had ever tasted!

“Do we need to leave you and the the sandwich alone?” Isabela joked as she took a seat on the end of his bed. “Cause you seem to be enjoying that as much as I do good sex.” When he shot her a glare she only laughed and held up her own bag. “Do you want to see what I brought you?” 

In all honesty, he didn’t because he knew Isabela and he know that whatever was in that bag it was going to make him want to throw himself out the window or strangle her. 

“Whatever it is, just remember that you don’t have to go out in public with it Fenris.” Hawke told him as he came in with clean linens and clothing. “Everyone has agreed that we’re going to do everything we can to help you get through this.” 

With a roll of his eyes Fenris nodded for Isabela to proceeded, not bothering to stop eating while she did. It turned out to be a big mistake when Isabela pulled out a handful of dark dresses and Fenris nearly choked. “Ladies where dresses Fenris, and only ladies get pregnant, so it’s lovely dresses until you’re free of your little bundles of monster love.” 

The glare he gave her did little to diminish her mirth at the situation. “Like Hawke said, you don’t have to go out in public.” She also pulled out a smaller bundle with a devious grin. “Smalls fit for the mother to be.” 

It took Hawke and Anders to keep him from strangling her, they had to put her as far away from the bed as possible. “That was a little much Isabela.” Anders admonished afterward, as Fenris continued to attempt to kill her with his gaze from across the room. 

“I don’t know the state of his smalls, I wanted to cover all bases.” Isabela was still clearly amused, but she knew not to push it any further than that.

Everything calmed down until Merrill suddenly piped up. “You can put a ribbon on them or have them tailored and still wear them after!”

-

“I hate this! I feel like a fool! This is worse than anything Danarius ever did to me!” Fenris shouted as he waddled from the table to his bed, sinking down on to it. “I am an invalid! I can barely move without exhaustion and all because some creature decided I was the perfect carrier for it’s damned spawn!”

Varric, who was sitting at the table along with Isabela, Donnic, Anders and Hawke, with Merrill perched behind them on a chair watching, raised an eyebrow. “I really don’t know what that has to do with you losing the hand and needing to pay up elf.”

Fenris gave Varric a scathing look. “It is affecting my thoughts and emotions.” 

“That’s like me saying Justice makes me a bad card player.” Anders remarked, as he traded three cards. “When in reality I just really suck.” The point was emphasized when Isabela gleefully snatched out the cards announcing she’d one that had. 

“There’s no shame in losing Fenris.” Hawke added as he passed his coin over to Isabela. “Even when you’re positive someone is cheating.”

Isabela flashed him a smile. “I don’t need to cheat with you lot; Donnic has too much of an honest face, Anders sucks, and I can beat you more than half the time. Only Varric and Fenris offer any challenge, and Fenris is off his game tonight.” 

“You can’t blame him.” Donnic murmured, “It’s not a situation anyone would wish to be in. I remember when my mother was pregnant with my sister, she wasn’t anywhere near as large as Fenris is and was nearly as irritable.”

The comment was not appreciated, Fenris had no desire to be compared to a pregnant woman. The fact that his stomach was so large it looked as though he had swallowed a mabari pup whole, was not lost on him. He had begun wearing the dresses by day seventeen, his pants no longer fit properly and there was no hope for his tops. 

He was more irritable than usual, particularly because he had to endure this entire ordeal sober and he was not able to concentrate as much. At least some of his friends were willing to side with him on it affecting his card playing. What relieved him more though was that all of them were helping to support him through this ordeal, even if they were insufferable about it at time. 

Pressing a hand against his incredibly swollen belly, Fenris imagined that he could feel the eggs growing inside him and it disgusted him. He had endured three weeks of this already and it was one of the worst experiences in his life; the feeling of something growing within him made him wish to claw of his own skin. Nothing Danarius had ever done to him had impacted him like this. If not for the others it was possible he would have done something drastic to try and rid himself of his unwanted passengers.

His only comfort was that this ordeal was almost over. If the Dalish keeper was correct, then he only had a few more days before he would birth the eggs, which would prove a challenge itself. Anders had assured him that he would be there to help him with the process, as would Hawke and Merrill. Hawke would only be there for support, and Merrill because she was the closest thing to an expert on the subject they had, outside of the Dalish. 

“You’re awfully quiet over there.” Isabela said as she sat down next to him,. “Thinking about how close you are to having all of this done?” 

Fenris nodded absently, his gaze focused on his swollen stomach. “This has been not only uncomfortable but invasive for me. It is as though my body is not my own, under the control of these things within it. I cannot drink, my hunger is nearly constant and my emotions are affected. I do not understand how anyone wishes something such as this to happen to them willingly.” 

The comment earned him a laugh. “I imagine it’s different when it’s something you want. Particularly when it’s a baby and not some ancient elvhen tentacle monster’s eggs growing inside you.” She grinned and patted his belly. “You do look cute though, you’re face is a little rounder from all the food you’ve been eating, and you just look softer. If actual male pregnancy was possible you’d be the sweetest looking pregnant man out there.” 

“Do not mock me.” Fenris groused, swatting at her hand. 

Isabela laughed and removed her hand, choosing instead to poke his cheek. “I’m not you look damn cute, if you had that pregnancy glow you’d be the cutest thing in this room.” 

Fenris tried to lean away from her. “If that is meant to be comforting it is not.” 

“Come back and play cards with us, I promise to give you some good cards so you don’t have to storm off in annoyance.” She stood up, holding out her hand to him. Looking to where his friends where gathered together in his home, laughing as Anders complained about everyone being against him, Fenris nodded and took her hand, allowing her to help him up. Isabela ruined the moment by adding, “It’ll be nice when doing this doesn’t threaten to pull my arm out of its socket.” 

-

The pitching of the wagon was not helping Fenris nausea, even Anders magic did little more than make it slightly less of a discomfort. When the pain had begun hours earlier, it had been a rush for Hawke, Anders and Merrill to get Fenris down to the waiting cart in the courtyard. It also hadn’t been easy; between the size of his stomach and the pain he was in, Fenris could barely move. He had been completely bed ridden for the better part of two days, moving only when he needed to use the chamber pot kept close to his bed and emptied often. 

When another one of the pains Anders called contractions hit, Fenris curled as much as he could, which was not much considering h stomach prevented him from bending far. He felt Merrill press a cool hand to his forehead, even as Anders pushed more healing magic into him.

“Were almost there Fenris, it’s almost over.” Merrill whispered comfortingly, though Fenris barely registered the words through the pain. 

Even with the cart it still took three hours to get to the the former slave holding caves. The path up the mountain proved difficult for the horses, and more than once a bump caused Fenris to cry out in pain. When the cart finally rolled to a stop it was more a relief to be out of the cart than knowing this entire ordeal was almost over.

“We just need to make it to the last room in the cave and then nature, or rather elvhen magic, will take its course.” Hawke said as as he wrapped one of Fenris arms around his shoulder while Anders did the same with the other. “Be strong.” 

Fenris nodded but it was easier said than done. The pain was excruciating and he swore that he if it were not for the fact that the creature was protected by the Dalish, he would have murdered it as soon as this was over. He grunted and stumbled at another contraction hit, stumbling slightly as something thick mucus like substance began to drip down his legs.

“If you were a woman I’d tell you that your water just broke.” Anders joked weakly, all three of them were out of breath from the effort it was taking to get Fenris into the right cave. Merrill was walking ahead of them to take care of any lingering enemies that may come out at them, luckily it seemed that had respawned, or perhaps the deunoc had killed or eaten them. 

When they finally arrived at the cave the creature was there waiting for them. It was a terror to behold, particularly with the limbs Fenris had severed hanging uselessly at its side with bulbs on the end of them signifying their healing. In the back of his mind Fenris wondered why such a thing had been created and was protected by the Dalish. It made a crooning sound when it saw them, but kept its distance its eyes taking them in and perhaps determining that approach would not be wise.

“It’s marvelous.” Merrill murmured, though she kept her distance and ensured that she remained between the creature and Fenris. “Our ancestors were amazing to create it.”

Fenris didn’t waste his breath on cursing her, or rather he couldn’t, not when it felt as though something inside of him was tearing loose, causing him to fall to his knees with a scream. Oddly enough this seemed to be the worst part. Hunched over, Fenris dropped forward so that he was on his hands and his knees, it felt as though he had to make a bowel movement and then the first egg was out. 

Anders was beside him, a comforting hand on his shoulder and healing magic spreading through him even as the second and third egg passed through him. The final egg brought with it a sense of vertigo and nausea, and Fenris retched weakly as he passed it. The entire process of laying the four eggs took less than ten minutes. Despite the ease of it, Fenris felt exhausted and disgusting. 

Anders finished healing him and helped him to move so that he could sit against the wall before using some of the towels they’d brought to help clean him up. “It’s done Fenris, you did well.” 

Fenris didn’t say anything, his gaze was on the creature as it reached out it with some of its tentacles to scoop the eggs up and bring them close to it. The eggs were a light yellow the size of small small mellon. Looking at them, Fenris could not believe that they had been growing inside of him, and had some how come out of him with little difficulty; he had no doubt that was due to magic.

He could hear Merrill gasp in delight as they began to shake and then slowly cracks began to appear in some areas. Everyone watched as the first egg cracked open, the deunoc helping to pull the parts of the shell off its offspring almost tenderly. The baby was a miniature version of the creature but was covered in a fine layer of what appeared to be fur. 

“It’s so cute!” Fenris did not agree with Merrill’s sentiments but he found that he could not turn away as the other three eggs hatched as well. It was a sight to behold watching the babies come into the world, so long as he did not dwell on the fact that they had been within him not moments ago. 

The deunoc carefully pulled bits of shell off each of the babies as they hatched, and appeared to be checking them over as it did. When all the of the eggs had hatched and the babies were cleaned and safely cradled in one the creature’s tentacles it looked over at Fenris and he swore he could see some form of gratitude in its eyes.

“Next time find someone else to carry your offspring.” He hissed at it, not willing to go through that ever again. 

They stared at each other for a moment before the creature turned away and left, presumably to take its children somewhere safe to raise them. So long as they were far away from him, Fenris did not care. “Let us head back to Krikwall, I need to bathe and drink until I forget any of this happened.”

Hawke clapped him on the back. “I think we all need some seriously strong brew for that. Once we get you cleaned and changed why let’s head to the Hanged Man and forget all about this. My treat.”

“Agreed.”


End file.
